Gaming

Now Playing: Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Amazing combat but imbalanced difficulty

Published

July 25, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Soulslikes are a dime a dozen these days. People just can’t get enough of ultra difficult RPGs that can rip your hair out. This year alone has seen the launch of Elden Ring Nightreign, The First Berserker: Khazan, and Lies of P: Overture. Today, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers joins this crowded list, touting flowing combat and a dense story. Is it a worthy addition to the Soulslike tradition, or have we finally reached genre fatigue?

An audacious debut

With only a modest VR game released in the past, Leenzee makes its true industry debut with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. As with all Soulslikes, Wuchang will endlessly tempt players into flinging their expensive controllers into the wall over its difficult boss fights. To entice players to keep going, the game also has a rich backstory they can carve out only through drip-fed lore nuggets.

Bai Wuchang, a female pirate, wakes up with amnesia (a perennial disease of every Soulslikes protagonist) in the lands of Shu. She also finds herself infected with a disease called Feathering. However, unlike other infected individuals, Wuchang remains lucid and doesn’t turn into a demonic monstrosity. Armed with her changdao (and an assortment of other weapons she can find along the way), she must traverse this awful land in search of answers to her mysterious disease.

Combat that caters to a true variety of play styles

Even if they offer enough weapons to fill an armory, Soulslikes can easily fall into the trap of making only a few options viable to play through the entire game. Wuchang avoids this problem by making each available weapon type as exciting as the others.

In the game, players can pick up longswords, one-handed swords, dual blades, spears, and axes. Each of these comes with a dedicated skill tree which unlocks new attacks, combos, and weapon upgrades. The spoke-like skill tree also has one additional branch catering to general upgrades such as the number of healing flask uses.

Personally, I prefer using one-handed swords and dual blades. But each weapon type is just as exciting because of how many combos you can chain together in combat.

Plus, there’s an interesting Skyborn Might system. Every successful dodge (or as triggered by some effects) grants you a charge of Skyborn Might, which you can then spend on powerful skills and spells. Because of how powerful these abilities are, it’s impossible to ignore this system. Most of my boss battles involved a rinse-and-repeat of recharging my Skyborn Might, expending them on one powerful attack, and backing away to do it again.

The Madness system also needs a big shoutout. The more she dies, the more Wuchang’s madness meter fills up. Higher madness means higher damage dealt… and taken. Certain skills are also unlocked based on madness level. A completely filled up madness meter results in an evil manifestation which hunts players down. It’s an excellent risk-reward system that rewards and punishes aggressive play styles. This is the game’s bright spot in my opinion.

Imbalanced difficulty cheapens the experience

That said, Wuchang has a difficulty problem. Now, as my colleagues and friends can attest to, I love the Soulslike genre. I thrive under the extreme challenge and the thrill of conquering a difficult boss. However, this game just pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable.

A balanced diet of difficulty spikes is crucial to how enjoyable a Soulslike is. My favorite games in the genre often feature a gradual escalation of difficulty. Spikes are always designed to teach valuable mechanics in the game. For example, a rather difficult early-game boss (see: Father Gascoigne from Bloodborne) wants to teach players how to dodge properly, instead of just mashing the attack button.

Wuchang doesn’t feel balanced in this way. Right from the beginning, the game pits you against difficult enemies and unrelenting traps.

The difficulty is a problem because of poise. Now, poise is an 0ft-hidden mechanic in Soulslikes, which determines whether a character staggers when attacked. A character with high poise, for instance, can tank through an enemy’s hits to land a counterattack. Meanwhile, a low-poise character will stagger and have their animations cancelled. Wuchang has as much poise as a butterfly beelining towards a plane’s turbine. Every enemy attack, especially in the early game, staggers her, leading to an uninterrupted barrage of blows and (often) a game over screen. On the other hand, enemies have the poise of a brick wall. The imbalance is too much like a game of attrition where you constantly have to dodge with very little chance to launch a counterattack.

The traps, on the other hand, are way too many. It’s normal for a Soulslike to lure players into seemingly innocent situations, only to spring a surprise enemy. Wuchang relies on this too much. Every corner feels like it houses a hidden monstrosity. Having too much of traps is just the same as having none at all — but it’s worse because I have to pussyfoot everywhere.

Unoptimized engine creates too much load times

Normally, I don’t complain about the lack of optimization. I’m usually patient enough to withstand longer loading times. So, when I complain about Wuchang‘s lack of optimization, it’s saying something.

Loading times are longer than what most games take on modern hardware. Even the act of resting at a shrine (and thereby resetting the world) feels like it takes way longer than it should. Ironically, the game itself only has a modest file size, so it’s not like it has a huge pool to draw resources from.

Additionally, the graphics are strangely wonky. Don’t get me wrong; Wuchang is a beautiful game. But the odd dips in quality takes me out a bit. Now, I prefer playing on framerate mode, but I’m still losing frames. Certain UI elements, such as the meter that determines when an enemy staggers, become too pixelated to be of much use.

For reference, I played the game on a PlayStation. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced quality this poor on this machine.

Should you play Wuchang: Fallen Feathers?

In a segment as saturated as the Soulslike genre, having a truly revolutionary title is out of the question already. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t add much to the segment, but it does get combat right. Among its peers, it has one of the most dynamic systems that can chain moves and combos easily with an abundance of skills and spells. Plus, the inspired madness system makes death much more impactful than other games.

That said, I wouldn’t call this an extremely polished game. The imbalanced difficulty and unoptimized engine prevent this game from achieving significant heights. However, Leenzee can easily fix this with a couple of patches. At its current state during my review, it still needs tweaking. I don’t think I’m tired of the Soulslike genre, but games like Wuchang don’t really help.

Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

Gaming

BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news

Published

September 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.

World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.

Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.

StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.

Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.

For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.

Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.

Existing games updates

Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.

The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.

For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.

Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.

LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI

BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.

Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.

BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.

Gaming

Just Dance: Decades of Hits to launch on October 13

All-new Just Dance experience that brings every generation together

Published

September 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Just Dance: Decades of Hits will launch on modern consoles on October 13, Ubisoft has announced.

This will offer fans of the franchise a new experience across eras of music. The game will be available on PlayStation5 , Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the launch date.

Nintendo Switch 2 users, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the title by November 10, 2026.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits brings together every generation to one dance floor with 25 iconic songs across six different decades:

Mamma Mia by ABBA
Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
It’s Tricky by Run-DMC
No Scrubs by TLC
Wannabe by Spice Girls
Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC
Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny
And more!

Bringing every generation together

Songs, visuals, and an all-new Adventure Mode are all designed to immerse players in the spirit that made each decade unforgettable.

From the funky ’70s disco floors and the electrifying ’80s rock scene to the glossy 2000s pop and beyond, travel through time and share the joy of rediscovering iconic moments with friends and family.

In Adventure Mode, follow Lyra, Dr. Gigavolt’s daughter, in a playful journey through time to rescue her father.

Explore the decades through six themed worlds, enjoy fun mini activities, and unlock exclusive rewards.

For unpredictable, chaotic fun where the rules change every round, players can jump into Party Mode. Or they can get moving with the Workout Mode, which tracks calories burned with each dance.

Up to six players can dance locally in the game, with no extra accessories needed.

In addition those who own Just Dance: Decades of Hits as well as Just Dance 2023-2026 editions will be able access all their songs in one place on the same console without having to switch games or separate menus.

This also includes songs from purchased Music Packs and songs available through an active Just Dance+ subscription.